


Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening?

by Tony_stark24



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Happy Ending, Healing, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Rebuilding, Sad Peter Parker, Soft Peter Parker, Surprises, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21929170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tony_stark24/pseuds/Tony_stark24
Summary: The holidays are a time when people come together. A time to enjoy family. But wait...Peter and Tony aren't family. Christmas may change that....
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 6
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

Winter in New York was always beautiful, especially when swinging in between buildings. Peter could feel the crisp air trying to sneak through his mask. But after countless hours in the lab perfecting the spidey suit for cold weather, Tony and him successfully made a hypothermic-proof suit for Peter to wear until spring time.

Peter landed softly on top of one of the hundreds of skyscrapers littering the skyline. He took a deep breath in and sighed gently in bliss. The world was silent, as if the snow had sucked all the noise out from the world.

Peters world had been silent for months, May passing left a hole in his heart that has yet to be filled. Tony told him that it will always be there just over time you learn to find other things to make your heart stronger. Peter believes Tony is one of the reasons his heart is still beating. The sleepless nights and days without  
an appetite would have taken him long ago if Tony wasn’t there to remind him how to be human.

Some days are easier than others. Like the dinner party they had with the rest of the Avengers a few nights ago. That was a breath of fresh air for Peter, endless chatter and little table games filled the night. Him and Tony ended up crashing on the couch together after the party had wrapped up. 

Other days Peter can’t get out of bed. An invisible force holding him hostage in the sheets. Days when the world is too loud but Peters room is empty. Tony brings him his old MIT sweatshirt and a ratty blanket from Peters old apartment and they curl up together and sit in silence for hours. Peter never wants to talk on those days, all he wants is Tony to be there with him. 

The Press had a field day when the world found out Tony had taken guardianship over Peter a week after his aunts death. The rumors of a bastard child or a hidden pregnancy were wild and unforgiving. Peter found more comfort in school than the real world for once in his life, and even when the reporters were not present he still faced the stares from his classmates and teachers all day. 

But life got better, time moved on, and Peter was slowly healing. It had been almost a year since May’s death. Peter was ready to face the first christmas without her, he would make it and he would be fine. Pepper was visiting family this year, her and Tony were still engaged but Tony chose to keep Peter in New York and Pepper promised to be back to ring in the new year with them. Peter was grateful that Tony kept him here. He wasnt sure how well he would be off seeing Pepper interact with all of her family when he had no one left. 

So this year it would be just Tony and him. The whole team planned on coming over christmas morning to open presents and spend the day together. But until then, him and Tony were celebrating the next few days alone. 

Today was the 23rd of December, Peter and Tony were making christmas cookies and planned on watching movies until they passed out. 

Peter’s face broke into a smile at the thought of warm cookies. He stood up from the edge of the building and leaped off the side. 

He had some cookies to make.  
__________________

“Glad you could make it! Go change and hurry up!” Tony called out from the kitchen when he heard Peter enter from the balcony.

“Heyyyy I’m here now, chill.” Peter said laughing and running towards the stairs that led to his room. 

“No running!” Tony called after him.

5 minutes later Peter found himself in an apron rolling out cookie dough.

“Yeah that looks perfect, Pete. Sure you aren't a secret baker?” Tony joked looking down at the dough.

“As if. This is calming, I never thought to do this to calm down before.” Peter said offhandedly. 

“Pepper used to make me roll out dough for hours when I came back from...you know. I couldn't get my hands to stop shaking. She would pester me until I made the perfect rolled out dough for her. It took me months to realize she was the reason my hands never shook anymore.” Tony said placing the cookie cutters out on the table.

“She seems to always be one step ahead.” Peter said with a smile. He picked up his clump of dough and set it gently in a bowl. Placing a towel over it he walked it to the fridge to cool for the next few hours.

“Alright, this dough is ready. What are we thinking?” Tony said while inspecting the cut outs and placing two chunks of finely rolled dough out on the table.

Peter walked over and took a seat next to Tony. He reached his hand out and softly touched the snowman one.

Tony smiled and picked it up for him and placed it onto the dough in front of Peter. 

“Go on, Pete.” He said softly.

Peter gently pressed down on the dough and smiled widely when the snowman shape came out perfectly.

They continued on for a few minutes. Working in silence to make the perfect cookies. 

After a while Tony glanced over at Peter and noticed the boy had a sad look on his face. 

“Pete?” He asked quietly.

The boy turned and the sight made Tonys heart ache. 

Peters eyes had turned a soft pink with red rings adorning his irises. His cheek had a hint of color to them and Tony could see the raw emotion emitting from his eyes.

He sighed and motioned for Peter to come closer. The boy did and moved to be almost on top of Tony’s lap.

“Whats wrong bud?” Tony asked and began to run his fingers through Peters hair.

Tony barely made out his reply,“Do you think she’s mad?” Peter asked quietly.

He knew exactly who Peter was referring to. 

“No,” he answered immediately, “no, not at all.”

Peter sniffed and shifted to be closer to Tony, “But were doing this and shes not here. This is something we used to do.” Peter said.

“My mother used to play piano for me every Christmas Eve. She would let me sit on her lap and watch her fingers move across the keys. I picked it up a few years in and slowly began to play with her. We would play for hours, only on Christmas Eve though. The first Christmas after she died I sat at the piano and began to play. I didnt get more than three notes out before I broke down. I felt I was hurting her, in a way. That I was doing our thing without her for my own selfish reasons. I destroyed the manor that night, smashed the piano and made the place unrecognizable. I did it because I thought if the place looked like that I would never disappoint her by finding joy in the things we used to do together. But every year got harder after that until I bought a piano for myself in New York. I remember taking hours to find the courage to hit the keys. But soon I did it and it made me cry again, but this time with tears of joy. I felt like she was smiling down at me and that she was proud of me in a way.”

Peter looked up at Tony and attempted to wipe a stray tear from his face. 

Tony beat him to it and softly stroked his finger along Peters cheek.

“I am most certainly not saying you can destroy my kitchen,” Peter let out a little chuckle, “But, I want you to realize that this guilt your feeling is only felt by you, and you will feel it until one day it will click that they would be happy for you. That May would want you to be doing this, keeping the tradition. Whether she’s here or not. I think she would be very proud of you for wanting to do this.”

Tony felt Peter nod against his chest. 

Peter took a shaky inhale and rose off from Tony’s chest.

“I think I would like to make another cookie now.” 

Tony smiled and handed Peter the cookie cutter. 

Small victories like this were always a win, months ago Peter would have left and holed himself up in his room when this happened. But now, he comes to Tony and doesn't shrink away.

They continued on and by the end of the night they had made over 50 cookies of all different shapes and sizes. 

As a movie played on Tony felt himself fully relaxing back into the couch. Peter was asleep on his chest, snoring softly and was wrapped in a grey blanket Pepper had given him a few weeks ago. Tony ran his fingers through Peters curls and took a deep breath in.

Christmas was in two days.

Christmas also meant Tony was asking Peter if he could adopt him in two days.


	2. Chapter 2

The tree was enormous, Peter had picked it out and it took Steve and Bucky 20 minutes to drag it back to the car. Peter had a huge grin on his face and tugged at Tony’s sleeve the entire time they walked around the forest, he wanted that tree and Tony decided he would do anything in his power to get Peter that tree. 

That included dragging Steve and Bucky out of the house to go chop it down. 

*Christmas Morning*

Everyone was now gathered in the living room and it was just past 8am. Peter had gone and knocked on everyone's doors and pulled the whole family out to sit around the tree and open presents before 9am. Everyone, besides Peter, had a coffee in their hand. Things went smoothly throughout the morning and everyone had successfully opened their presents. Peter had gotten Tony a photo album full of pictures of the two of them taken while neither was paying attention. Most were done in the lab, and Pepper took credit for over 90% of the album. Nonetheless, Tony teared up and gave Peter a big hug. Tony and Pepper both got Peter some new clothes and shoes for school, along with a weighted blanket and multiple little nick nacks to keep around the place when he came to visit. 

Pepper gathered everyone up to the table to enjoy christmas morning breakfast. Tony watched and everyone began to shift and gather themselves. His stomach was a knot and his heart was racing so fast but this was his chance, he had planned this for months and was ready to execute it.

“Wait,” Tony called out, “there is one more gift I would like to give.”

Happy let out a sigh, “If you got the kid a car, I refuse to be the one to teach him how to drive.”

Peter whipped his head towards Tony, “You got me a car?!?!?” 

Tony shook his head rapidly, “Ah, no I a-ah I did not. That would be...a just terrible idea...I don't even want to think about that yet.”

Peter let out a whine and pulled his lips downward, “Fine.”

Tony smiled at the boy and held a finger up, signalling the room to wait. He made an exit and entered his study that was just off of the living room. Sitting on the table was a stack of papers, Pepper had added little tabs where the proper signatures needed to be. Tony’s hands shook as he reached for it. This is what he wanted, he just wasn't sure if this is what Peter wanted. 

Tony turned and made his way back into the living room. Peter was now occupied with Buckys new model plane Bruce had gotten him. Tony smiled at the thought of him and Bucky spending hours building it. 

Tony cleared his throat, “Pete.”

Peter turned his head and smiled at Tony. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes though.

Tony walked over and sat in front of the boy, he looked down briefly at the papers before handing them over to the boy. 

“Peter, we didnt meet in the best of circumstances but now I couldnt imagine life without you in it. I know these last few months have been hard on you, hell the last year has. But even through it all you havent lost what makes you so perfect. I see the shine in your eyes and I see life when you and I are down in the lab. You have changed me, Pete. In ways I couldnt imagine. I worry about your well being more than my own, I get all giddy when you come home with a good test grade, and my heart drops whenever I hear about a patrol that went bad. I feel things I have never felt in my life before. The need to protect, cherish, and love you. I hope you allow me to do this for the rest of my life. I hope you see me the way I see you.”

Peter hadnt looked at him at all during his speech, he was clutching the papers in his hands so tightly his knuckles were straining. 

When Peter looked up, Tony noticed tears in his eyes. Tony’s first thought was this was the wrong thing to do. They were here yet, this was a mistake.

But then Peter spoke,

“I called you Dad on accident.” he said.

Tony’s eyes widened and he prompted Peter to keep going.

“I-I was with Ned, and my decathlon team. We had just won in overtime and I won the bonus question, i won the tournament and my teacher asked me how I knew the answer. You and I were messing around with one of your cars in the lab the week before and you taught me about the cooling mechanisms in a V8 engine. I knew because of you and before I could stop myself I said ‘my Dad taught me it’, no one knew I meant you. I mean, my teacher even said ‘he would have been so proud of you’. He was talking about Richard, but I wasn’t. I meant you. Then I couldn't stop, I cant tell you how many times I have almost called it to your face.”

Tony reached out for Peters hand. They met in the middle and Peter kept going, 

“I didn't know if I could do this. Allow myself to make another family, after I have lost mine more than once. I didn't want to let anyone else in, ever. I accepted I was going to be alone for the rest of my life. But you refused to leave, you kept showing up. Then life got easier, with you everything became mangable. I want to be here now, on this earth. With you, and Pepper, and the avengers, with my family. I didn’t for the longest time. I really didn’t want to be here anymore.”

Tony could feel the tears running down his face, Peter had some to match and the room around them was dead silent.

“I um, I really, I do-dont. Are you sure?” Peter asked Tony. 

“More than ever.” Tony reassured him. 

“Yes, yes I will be your son.” Peter said trying to wipe the tears from his face. 

Tony gathered the boy in his arms, he rubbed his back and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Petey.”

Peter giggled and said with a big smile on his face, “I love you too.”


End file.
